Shloka 3

Matsya Purana — Procedure for Going to Prayaga and the Greatness of the Ganga

Devanagari script

*मार्कण्डेय उवाच कथयिष्यामि ते राजंस् तीर्थयात्राविधिक्रमम् आर्षेण विधिनानेन यथादृष्टं यथाश्रुतम् //

Transliteration

*mārkaṇḍeya uvāca kathayiṣyāmi te rājaṃs tīrthayātrāvidhikramam ārṣeṇa vidhinānena yathādṛṣṭaṃ yathāśrutam //

Translation

Mārkaṇḍeya said: O King, I shall tell you the proper procedure and sequence for pilgrimage to the sacred tīrthas, according to the seers’ tradition—exactly as it has been seen and as it has been heard through authoritative transmission.

Word by Word

मार्कण्डेयःMārkaṇḍeya (the sage)

उवाचsaid

कथयिष्यामिI shall relate/tell

तेto you

राजन् (राजंस्)O King

तीर्थ-यात्राpilgrimage to sacred places

विधि-क्रमम्the prescribed method and order/sequence

आर्षेणbelonging to/handed down by the ṛṣis (seers)

विधिनाby the rule/procedure

अनेनby this

यथा-दृष्टम्as seen/observed

यथा-श्रुतम्as heard (from tradition).

Speaker

Sage Mārkaṇḍeya

Entities Mentioned

MārkaṇḍeyaKing (rājan)Ṛṣis (seers)Tīrtha (sacred ford/place)

FAQs

What does this verse reveal about the creation or dissolution (Pralaya)?

This verse does not address pralaya directly; it introduces an authoritative, rishi-transmitted procedure for tīrtha-yātrā, emphasizing correct tradition rather than cosmology.

How does this verse relate to the duties of a King or Householder?

By addressing the listener as “O King,” the verse frames pilgrimage as a regulated dharmic practice suitable for rulers as well—implying that even royal conduct should follow established sacred procedure and reliable tradition.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The ritual significance is the promise of a step-by-step (vidhi-krama) method for pilgrimage rites at tīrthas, grounded in ṛṣi authority (“yathādṛṣṭaṃ yathāśrutam”), signaling that correct performance depends on prescribed order and tradition.